This is a stunning easy 4 km return walk.
Gericke’s Point, or Lion Rock as it is officially known, is a sphinx shaped peninsula west of Swartvlei Beach, Sedgefield.
The sandstone sculpture viewed from a certain angle resembles a crouching lion.
Go at low or Spring Low tide…even better. At high Tide… Gericke’s becomes an island and you won’t be able to get back.
At Gerick’s Point Beach, there is parking and a lavatory.
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The long Swartvlei Beach leads to a headland, which is Gericke’s Point. There are rock pools to explore en route.
You will also see a huge dune…. stop to explore as it has fossilized remains of many creatures.
Sedgefield itself is bordered east and west, by a series of parallel fossil sand dunes which are the highest in South Africa. These sand dune ridges extend south beneath the sea, forming a series of reefs renowned for their sea life. So exploring rock pools is particularly worthwhile as high tides bring a wide variety of sea creatures, some of which remain in the pools till the next high tide: sea stars, sea crabs, shells, nudibrachs, anemone, colourful small fish, an occasional octopus and sea urchins.
At the point, you can snorkel. Gericke’s has a rock ledge pitted with rock pools. At spring low tides, the rock shelf is exposed and access to the rock pools is easy. Each pool is like swimming in an aquarium and is a perfect place to snorkel if you aren’t confident to swim in the open sea.
Please, please do not pick anything up out of the rock pools unless it is snared fishing tackle which can harm sea life.
You can climb up to the view point… but watch the time!
The sunsets looking towards the point from Swartvlei Beach are spectacular.
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A Moonlight Meander to explore the rock pools at night, was started by a local biology teacher/ naturalist. See
www.thesaunter.co.za/listing/moonlight-meander/
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Cape Fur Seals can be seen sunning themselves or enjoying the calm rock pools. PLEASE do not go too close. They are generally fine about humans but are wild and the odd male in the wrong season (wrong for us, right for him!) may want to show you who is boss.
And look out for the resident pod of Humpback Dolphins surfing the waves towards the beach.
You can also see some breeding pairs of Oyster Catchers with their distinctive black colouring and beautiful coral beaks.
“The cliffs provide nesting and roosting sites for two colonies of Cape and White Breasted Cormorants frequently seen in large numbers in the Swartvlei Lagoon. Besides these, seagulls… and herons are plentiful.”
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There was a shipwreck nearby too… “the Napaul shipwreck… in 1850 shortly after the ship’s captain and passengers had spent the afternoon picnicking (in Gericke’s Point shade)… celebrating the captain’s birthday and taking a break from the long sea journey… ” Quotes from Discover Sedgefield.
Photos including those by Neels Visser & Hetta Visser.
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